The 15 Best Walking Tours to Take in Athens

Sightseeing is one of the most interesting activities you can do while travelling. But it can also be the most confusing if you do not know where to start. To help you explore Athens and get acquainted with the ancient city, we have selected the top walking tours to help you discover the Greek capital’s many secrets and hidden gems.

Athens Small-Group Food Tour

With the Athens Small-Group Food Tour, you will get a chance to sample the delicious staples of Greek cuisine over two-and-a-half hours. After this feast on ouzo, feta, olives and olive oil and koulouri, the pretzel-shaped, sesame seed-crusted ring bread that Greeks eat on the go as breakfast. You will also get a glimpse of traditional sweets and deserts with a stop at a local delicatessen. Welcoming up to 12 people, the tour provides a glimpse into Athenian culinary scene, while exploring the streets and areas you wouldn’t see if you were on a regular tour.

The Moveable Sunday Feast

One of the best ways to experience Greek culture is on Sunday. Just like everywhere else, Greeks spend their Sundays eating with family and friends and when the weather allows it, stroll around the city center. This tour by Culinary Backstreets takes you in an authentic taverna for a Sunday meal after a leisurely walk around Monastiraki square and the flea market. The tour also includes a small exploration of Thissio and the Ancient Agora, Petralona and Psyrri. Come hungry as you will be making multiple stops along the way.

Athens Walking Tour with Food and Wine Tasting

Who hates waking up early for a tour? Then, you are in luck. The Food and Wine tasting tour starts at 10.30am! It is a simple tour of the historic part of Athens and the market place. You will also get a delicious souvlaki (there is an option for vegetarians as well) and visit a cava store where you will learn about not only Greek wine, but also ouzo and raki. Even better, you will taste them. The tour allows you to get a direct impression of the city.

Athens Greek Food and Markets Tour

All the foodies please stand up! This Greek Food and Markets Tour might just be the right one for you. Tour the central market with your guide, who also happens to be a chef and food journalist, and explore the nearby streets with more stores and shops. Retsina wine, vegetables, bread, meat, spices, you will learn all about these delicious foods.

Hidden Athens Walking Tour and Picnic: Plaka and the Hills of Athens

It is not surprising this tour has a five-star rating on Viator. This walking tour through Plaka and the hills of Athens is a refreshing exploration of the quiet parts of the city. You will discover the historic district of Plaka and the little gem that is Anafiotika, nestled on the slopes of the Acropolis. Your visit continues with a stroll to Areopagus on Mars hill before escaping the crowds in Filoppapou Hill for a restoring picnic of Greek delicacies with white wine before returning to your starting point.

The Essence of Athens in One Day

Perfect if you are staying in Athens for a day before heading to the island, this eight-hour tour introduces you to the many charms of Athens. Including a visit of the Acropolis and its museum, this guided tour will take you on a stroll around Plaka where you will visit several monuments and sites before reaching Syntagma square, the heart of modern Athens. You will get to explore the National Gardens, as well as the Zappeion and the Temple of Olympian Zeus with the Hadrian’s Arch. Your day ends at a wine bar, because, how else would you want to end it anyway?

Acropolis Walking Tour Including Syntagma Square and Historical City

The Acropolis Walking Tour is a best-seller. Starting with an exploration of Syntagma square, considered to be the heart of the modern city, the tour will include a stroll on the scenic Dionysiou Areopagitou pedestrian street, which begins on the other side of the Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. You will see the Filoppapou hill, Odeon of Herodes Atticus and end at the Acropolis. During the tour, you will learn about the historical monuments of the city but also colorful anecdotes and side notes which history books don’t mention.

Get Lost in Athens with an Insider

You may have already seen Athens and the Acropolis on a previous visit. Or maybe you are the type of person to stay clear of touristic tours? Whatever your situation is, this insider-guided tour is exactly what you need. Forget the museums and ancient ruins, this tour will show you the contemporary side of Athens, with a three-hour tour of Athens’ offbeat districts. Get to know Monastiraki, Thissio and the Kerameikos cemetery, as well as Psirri and the central market, where many Athenians shop.

Private Tour: Alternative Athens City Walk

Explore the city with a guide at your disposal. The Alternative Athens City Walk takes you on a tour of the ancient city’s historical landmarks and through iconic neighborhoods such as Psirri and Monastiraki where you will learn interesting facts, before discovering the non-touristy spots of the city that only locals know. This contact, up close, will allow you to understand the city, its past and its present.

Athens, City of Arts

Are you an art lover or connoisseur? Then get ready to explore the contemporary art scene of Athens. Discover Greek Culture has designed a unique one-day tour allowing visitors to discover the Athenian’s art scene with a visit to the best art museums and galleries in town before spending an afternoon with a local artist in his/her studio. You will get to ask them questions about their work and much more before exploring the art community through the historical districts of Monastiraki, Plaka and Psirri.

Highlights and Hidden Gems in Athens Walking Tour

With more than 2,000 years of history, Athens is an interesting destination for everyone. If looking for a tour that combines historical and contemporary Athens, then the Highlights and Hidden Gems tour is for you. See the main landmarks such as the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Panathenaic Stadium, as well as the Roman Agora and Syntagma, while strolling around town through small streets and hidden gems.

Greek Spirits Tasting

If this is not your first time in Athens, but you still want to learn another aspect of the culture and explore the city, this Greek Spirits Tasting tour by Athens Insiders is the answer. Besides wine, Greece has a spirit-producing tradition that few know about. Learn how the local liqueurs and spirits such as tsipouro, ouzo, mastic liqueur and Metaxa, the local brandy, are produced and sample local delicacies.

Private Athens Street Art Walking Tour

Since Athens is considered as a street art mecca, the Street Art Walking Tour is ideal for those looking to discover another facet of this age-old city. This three-hour tour takes you along the back streets of Athens, where you will get to discover the unique street art covering the concrete walls of the city. You will learn about the different techniques and styles and discover the impact of the economic crisis on the flourishing street art in Athens.

Athens Metro Stations Tour: Underground Treasures and Excavations

Few people know that many of the artefacts excavated during the construction of the metro are actually on display inside some metro stations of the city center. These unique underground galleries were a way for the city of Athens to apologize to Athenians for all the inconveniences caused by the construction. The Metro Stations Tour takes you around four metro stations where archaeological findings are on display just like any other museum.

Athens in a Click

A perfect tour for anyone into photography, the Athens in a Click by Urban Adventures is designed as a photo adventure across Athens. You will visit the city’s main landmarks and learn some basic techniques to capture these impressive sites and get memorable snapshots. Your guide will introduce you to street photography and give you some tips and tricks. The tour will take you through Syntagma square, Plaka and Anafiotika, Monastiraki, Psirri, and the central market. A fun way to explore Athens with your camera in hand.